MILAN — A new collection, a theatrical installation, limited-edition items dedicated to Florence and even a special zine — English artist and designer Luke Edward Hall is going all in to mark his brand’s debut at Pitti Uomo.
Launched between London and Milan last year and backed by Wemanage Group, Chateau Orlando is landing at the men’s trade show with its fifth collection, titled “Storm Prince of the Old Cornish.”
In sync with Hall’s fantasy world of reference — defined by an eclectic mix of ancient and contemporary art, folklore and mythology, flowers, books, travels and vintage clothing — the genderless lineup is filled with colors, patterns and a sense of playfulness.
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For fall 2023, Hall was specifically inspired by a recent trip he took to the wild coast of west Cornwall in England. “I spent time alone in a cottage in Lamorna Cove, which sits at the end of a lush valley watered by a stream running down to the sea. Here I immersed myself in old Cornish folklore: mummers and mermaids and ghostly galleons,” he said.
In particular, he was fascinated by the local tale of Sea Bucca, an ancient sea-spirit who was once a prince. According to legend, he was cursed by a witch and turned into a sea spirit. In his new appearance, he assists local fishermen by driving fish into their nets and crabs into their pots, but is also capable of summoning terrible storms — hence the name of the collection.
Storytelling is a core element in Hall’s creative approach across art, interior and product design, and his fashion venture is no exception. He confirmed he likes “to let myself dream up stories that go on to form the basis of each collection,” an attitude etched in the DNA of the brand since the pilot collection of knitwear released in February 2022. At that time he “imagined stumbling into a lost garden within the walls of a medieval castle on a brilliant spring afternoon, falling under its spell and setting up home there among the ancient trees and crenelations” in developing bold graphics of trellis, leaf and flower patterns.
The artist’s vivid imagination runs through every aspect of Chateau Orlando, whose booth at Fortezza da Basso’s Sala delle Nazioni will be set up with a theatrical installation that also will take inspiration from a garden.
More pragmatically, the fall 2023 collection will mark an expansion of Hall’s ready-to-wear lexicon. While knitwear remains at the core of the brand, with crewnecks, vests, turtlenecks and scarves in mohair and merino wool, Hall has been gradually building on other categories, from jackets to bags.
“We have shirts and T-shirts, but also the first pair of Chateau Orlando trousers: a relaxed fit made from corduroy in various colors, with a slight flare,” he teased. These styles proved to be the most challenging part in conjuring the collection, in terms of “getting the fit right” as he wanted them “to be staple pieces, classic in fit but with a playful edge.”
Corduroy will also be used for jackets and vests. “We are experimenting a lot with embroidering on the corduroy pieces, working with my drawings and also special stitch details,” Hall said. As in previous collections, whether knitted, printed or embroidered, all the motifs featured on products are based on his original drawings, with graphics ranging from animals and mythological creatures to floral patterns.
In addition to presenting the new collection, at Pitti Uomo the brand will sell items from the current line and a limited-edition range developed for the occasion and inspired by Florence. Copies of a special zine will be available at its booth, as Hall had the idea to rely on this format rather than a classic look-book to further perpetuate his storytelling.
Having done several prestigious collaborations with fashion and interior brands — including Burberry, Liberty, Ginori 1735, Svenskt Tenn and Rubelli — Hall underscored that his creative approach with Chateau Orlando is different from his previous work as every input begins with him. “I absolutely love collaborating with brands, but there is something very appealing about having full creative control, from the product itself to the photography, styling, copywriting,” he said.
“The idea of having a new avenue available, an avenue to funnel lots of my creative ideas into, an avenue that wouldn’t have been possible to open by myself” was what eventually convinced him to embark on the project with strategic consulting firm Wemanage.
“The team is based in Milan, and we’d actually already worked together on a project for Le Sirenuse, the hotel in Positano, Italy. It felt like a wonderful opportunity, because I would have support with the business side of things and the manufacturing processes, but also complete creative control,” recalled Hall about the beginnings of Chateau Orlando.
The ultimate goal was to create a brand that could blur the boundaries between fashion and interiors and fill it with the distinctive traits that have been informing Hall’s work since he launched his studio back in 2015: color, optimism and romance.
“Technically we’re a menswear brand, but I love the idea of the clothes being for everyone. I also like the idea of breaking down further barriers between fashion and interiors. I’m not mad keen on the word ‘lifestyle,’ but really it’s about an approach to life and giving equal attention to how one dresses as one does their interiors, cooking, gardening.…It’s not just about aesthetics…it’s about living life to the fullest…in the most vivid way possible,” he said. “When I am researching and designing, I am trying to infuse joy into the work, because truly the process itself fills me with joy.”
To appropriately evoke such enthusiasm and encapsulate all his ideas, Hall spent months pondering what to call the brand. “These days I come across many brands with seemingly forgettable names; I wanted to come up with something that would pique curiosity. I liked the idea of an imaginary place, but one that shape shifts, moves around and travels in time. Chateau Orlando could be a crumbling old hotel on the French Riviera, but it could also be a nightclub in West Hollywood. It’s up to the customer as much as me,” he said.
The fact that Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando” is one of his favorite books is no coincidence, either. “It’s a fantastical, flamboyant novel about shapeshifting and gender fluidity set against a backdrop of various historical periods — these are key themes that I am really excited about exploring with the brand,” Hall said.
Manufactured in Italy’s Veneto region, Chateau Orlando’s designs are priced between 113 euros and 530 euros. In addition to its e-commerce, the brand is available at Le Bon Marché in Paris and BoonTheShop in Seoul. Starting from the spring 2023 collection hitting stores in mid-February, the brand will also retail at 10 Corso Como and Biffi in Milan.